The Nigeria Professional Football League match between Remo Stars and Bendel Insurance on Sunday, ended with an horror show. A fan from home side found his way to the pitch and drilled a hole into the head of the referee who officiated the match.
The fixture was held the Gateway International Stadium in Ogun state and many spectators were infuriated wuth the officiating of Bethel Nwanesi, the referee. Things became worse when he went ahead to nullify a goal the home side socred in the dying minutes of the match, hence fans became aggressive and began to throw tantrums.
The match ended at 1-1 apiece and as soon as the whistle for the final whistle was blown, a Remo Stars fan ran into the playing area and attacked ref. Bethel, leaving him with a crack on his head.
The management of the club has since announced that those who participated in the unrest will be prosecuted accordingly as such acts are not acceptable by any standards in the game.
Read the official statement from Oladimeji Oshode, the club’s media officer, below.
“A manhunt has started immediately as the management of the club and the Nigeria Police Force Sagamu division are working closely to ensure that the intruder is brought to book to face the consequences of his actions.
“We totally regret and condemn this act as we don’t encourage violence in football.
The management, however, frowned at the center referee call by disallowing the 88th-minute goal by Remo against Bendel Insurance.
“In the same vein of condemning this act, we would also like to indicate that the centre referee Bethel Nwanesi calls all through the game were questionable and in the 88th minute a good goal was scored, which would have been the winning goal, was ruled offside and disallowed by the referee which caused an uproar among the fans.
“This of course is no reason why anyone should get hurt, we have lost games at home in the past against Plateau United, Enyimba FC, MFM FC, Rivers United without witnessing such violence.”
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